Simple Joys

Welcome to Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.

Simple Joys are the moments throughout your day that bring a smile, a feeling of goodness, a moment of peace, a hearty laugh, or an overwhelming burst of love.

Simple Joys are different for everybody but available to anybody. No matter how bad your day, week, month, or even year, there are Simple Joys all around.

To identify Simple Joys you just need to open your heart and mind to their existence in your life. Next to the negative that exists in life, the positive is there as well. All too often we forget to seek it out, but it is out there.

Once you open yourself to finding the Simple Joys that are all around, you will find them. Think of it as a leap of faith… believe and you will be surrounded by Simple Joys.

Trust me, I practice what I write daily!

And now, without further ado, is this week’s Simple Joys.

New Sandwich Bread. Yes, you read that correctly. While at the market last week I saw a sale on some circular sandwich bread (think pita-shaped) that came in 8-Grain and Italian Herb. Both seemed delicious to me so I tried them.

My middle child is a bit finicky and always wants pre-packaged lunches that are marketed to kids but are overly expensive for what you get. I chided the child to trust me and I purchased this bread.

When I presented the sandwich to my son for lunch he was very good about trying it… and he loved it!

Pocket Thins by Arnold will now be in my cart and in my breadbox weekly! I also thought they were tasty, satisfied my lust for bread, and were thin thus less caloric. Win win all around!

Cub Scout Graduation. Pack 88 holds their annual Cub Scout Pack Graduation in May. As it is the time the Scout Dens are promoted to the next rank, it is a very special time.

My oldest son is now in his fifth and final year of Cub Scouts; he is a WEBELOS II. In February he and his Den mates will cross over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. Thus, this is his last May to attend the Pack 88 graduation and, as Den Leader, mine as well.

My middle son just became eligible to join Cub Scouts and attended the Pack graduation as an incoming Tiger Scout along with other eager little boys who were signed up at the recruitment earlier in the week. Standing by my son in a Den Leader’s uniform was my husband who, now that his schooling is over, is able to happily commit to the five years it will take to steer our son and his peers through the Cub Scout path.

Having at least the one year for the boys to overlap in Cub Scouts is a Simple Joy that we all relish!

Game Day. The boys are in Little League for the first time and are both enjoying their individual experiences.

My middle boy is in T-ball and, although they do not keep score as everyone gets to hit and run the bases, he is learning valuable skills and getting total pleasure out of the practices and games.

My oldest son has a more intense practice and game schedule being that his team is a Minor one. He tries very hard, pays attention, and wants to do well.

On Saturday, Game Day in our home as we’re at the fields for some six hours, my oldest and his team played a particularly close game. His first at bat of the day the pitcher hit him (by accident) so my son took his base. Through the course of play he kept advancing bases and finally made it home – he scored a run!

After a long game that ended with a 14-13 loss for our team, Coach took a moment when we had packed up to leave to tell my boy what a good job he did; that although we'd lost the game he had a personal best and he was steadily improving. His words of encouragement meant so much to my boy and me!

Game Day continues to be a source of endless Simple Joys for our family and this one in particular will stand out for a lifetime!

National Anthem. My children have grown up in a home where the "Star Spangled Banner" gets played and properly respected. From baseball games to Cub Scout events and from public venues to our television set, my children know the proper way to listen and honor this song.

My youngest child, my daughter, was watching the start of the Bojangles’ Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway on Saturday night with the rest of us. My husband and the boys were talking about something when the Anthem came on air. I turned the sound up to get their attention. When my husband looked up he saw our 2 ½ year old daughter standing at attention with her tiny, precious little hand over her heart.

No one had staged her that way, she just now instinctively knows that that is how to conduct herself for the playing of our National Anthem.

We were not only bursting with pride, but the tears of welled up emotion that sprang forth added to our immense and powerful Simple Joy.

He did it! After two undergraduate degrees earned as an adult, my husband realized he still needed to continue his education to earn his Master’s Degree. In his field and the need to remain highly marketable, it was the right thing to do.

The sacrifice of time was enormous, but my husband always made himself available to the children and me.

After literally his entire adult life in school, my husband graduates with his Master’s in Environmental Engineering today.

Congratulations! We, your family, are so very thankful for and proud of you, Honey!

Having this chapter of his life successfully completed and knowing he is free to pursue other interests (Cub Scouts for one) is a life-altering Simple Joy!

Whether huge and transcendent like scoring a run or finishing formal schooling or totally just pleasant like finding a new sandwich bread, Simple Joys come in all shapes and sizes.

Each one gets deposited into the happiness bank that keeps us running when times are not as easy.

I wish you all a day and week filled with Simple Joys!

Please join me back here tomorrow as I wax poetic on yet another topic on Chief 187™Chatter.